The CBC is suffering from a series of funding cuts implemented by the federal government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The 2012 federal budget cut $115 million from the CBC over three years. While this has negative consequences for all Canadians as this national institution is forced to cut jobs and scale back its reach and scope, the country's music and arts communities, in particular, stand to lose. In many cases, it's already happening.

When Warring came out, I thought it was going to be the record for us. How naïve I was. Warring doesn't have a conventional single: the songs are too complex, the choruses aren't big enough or well enough defined and the lyrics are too abstract for commercial rock radio. I even remember having that clichéd conversation where someone said "I don't hear a single."

In honour of Canada Day, I decided to compile my list of the nation's best current talent in the world of music. None of these names are fresh to the industry. Many have been around for over a decade. However, some are just starting to elevate to the next level of their careers.